Here You Me
by Azfixiation
Summary: Shizuru is away for business, and her family misses her. They decide to take a trip to surprise Shizuru.
1. Chapter 1

A/N - Woo! Another two part story! Who knows how it'll go though, this sort of took on a life of it's own. So I've decided to give my muse a break, since she's sick and worked so hard at giving me such a sweet valentines day despite it. (Isn't she sweet!?) This story is actually inspired by a review message from AnimeJock. So I guess you can say this ones for you AJ. Hope it lives up to the Natsuki you had hoped to see more of.

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**Here You Me**

By: Azfixiate

"But momma I miss her!" Little hands reach out, hitting at the chest of their intended target. Natsuki quickly scooped up the owner of the offending hands and cradled her in her arms. Tears quickly began to fall from tiny eyes, breaking Natsuki's heart in an instant. "I want mommy."

"Me too. Me too," Natsuki whispered as she gently stroked the hair of her young daughter. "Mommy is busy with work, but she'll be home soon," It was the same line she had always used, but this time the sadness in her daughters eyes was not fading.

"No she won't. You lie momma!" The small girl thrust her face into her mother's neck, clutching tightly to her shirt. "You lie and I hate you!"

Natsuki sighed inwardly, knowing that the girl was only being over emotional, but it didn't stop the pain in her heart upon hearing those words. Were her and Shizuru bad parents? Had they truly been ready for this?

"How about we make a deal Kiyori?" Emerald eyes peeked up in curiousity. "If you relax, I'll let you take a ride with me on my bike tomorrow. We'll even go see Aunt Mai and trick her into making us lunch again."

"Promise?" the small voice asked.

"I promise. Now get in bed," Natsuki replied as she pried her daughter from her. Kiyori didn't fight it, letting out a sleepy yawn as she crawled under her blankets. As Natsuki tucked her daughter in she briefly thought about calling Shizuru, who was probably just waking up, so that their daughter could have some comfort but decided against it after seeing her content face. Leaning down, Natsuki kissed her daughters forehead before shutting off the lamp beside the bed. "Good night Kiyo," she said before returning to her own room.

_Shizuru, our bed is too big without you. You've been gone for two months almost. Please don't make us wait too long for you._

Natsuki found her resolve, not wanting to let herself fall apart when she had their daughter to think of. Just as she was about to doze off the phone rang, and without a second thought her hand shot out to answer it. "Shizuru?"

"Ara, it seems my wife misses me," Shizuru chuckled softly on the other end of the line.

"Of course. But not as much as your daughter does," Natsuki responded, wincing as she realized the bitterness that leaked from her voice.

"And I miss my family too," she sighed. "But Natsuki, you know how important this sell is to us. If I can get this new collection complete and make this sell we'll never have to want for anything again."

"I know…" Natsuki mumbled, ashamed of herself for wanting to put her immediate desires before what was best for their family in the long run.

_But I want you, Shizuru._

"Besides, I know how much my Natsuki loves the, ah, sample pieces from the collection. Though I regret I can't be there to see you in that new teddy I sent you from it. I trust it fits you well?"

Natsuki blushed despite the fact that she had no reason to. It seemed to be a habit that would last for life, at least when it came to Shizuru. Sometimes she wondered if her wife went into fashion, more specifically lingerie, just to torture her. "I haven't tried it yet. I was waiting until you got home," Natsuki mumbled quietly, cursing herself for her inability to stand up to Shizuru's teasing even after so many years.

"Maybe I should just come home right now then?" Shizuru teased, but Natsuki could make out the faint traces of longing in her voice. It was comforting to know that Shizuru was just as torn up about this as she was. The thought relaxed Natsuki, and she couldn't stop the yawn that escaped. "Ara, it seems I should let my wife rest now. I do hate that I wake up as you are going to bed."

"Me too. I love you Shizuru."

"And I love you too my Natsuki. And tell Kiyori I love her too and that I'm sorry I didn't get to talk to her before she fell asleep."

"She's quite pissed about that," Natsuki chuckled into the phone, recalling her daughters earlier tantrum.

"I promise to make it up to both of you. Rest well, my Natsuki."

"And you have a good day, Shizuru."

The two spent a few more minutes saying goodbye, neither wanting to be the first to hang up. Eventually Natsuki found the strength, and with thoughts of her wife drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

----

The next morning Natsuki was awoken by the pressure of her five year old daughter jumping on her. "Momma can we go to see Aunt Mai now!?" Kiyori shouted excitedly, ready for her promised ride on her mother's Ducati. This was only the second time Natuski had told her she could ride it as it was just "too dangerous for children" and she could take more rides on it when she was older. Well Kiyori didn't like being told what she could and couldn't do. She was plenty big enough as it was.

Reluctantly Natsuki got up from bed, promising her daughter she would get ready as fast as she could. "Sometimes I wonder who's really in charge here," she muttered to herself as she pulled on her biker leathers.

"Momma you look so cool! I want clothes like that!" Kiyori cheered once Natsuki came outside to meet her. Natsuki blushed at her daughter's admiration and let out a small laugh.

"You are definitely Shizuru's daughter." Her smile grew as she watched her daughter's chin rise in pride at the comment.

Natsuki grabbed the helmet she had custom made for her daughter and kneeled down as she handed it to her. "Now remember, you have to hold on very very tight ok? Don't let go for anything."

"I won't," Kiyori promised before slipping into her helmet. Natsuki picked her up and placed her on the back of the bike before climbing on herself. Once she felt the tiny arms holding on tightly she started the bike and very very slowly pulled out from the driveway. Natsuki had never been more thankful that Mai lived only a few blocks away, not liking the risk of her daughter on the bike.

Luckily for all involved, the trip was safe and they quickly arrived at Mai's apartment. Unfazed by the unannounced arrival of what Mai had come to view as her extended family, she let them in without a second thought. "I suppose I need to make two mayo ramen?"

Two sets of emerald eyes lit up at the words, and rather childishly, at least on Natsuki's part, she high fived her daughter. Natsuki mussed Kiyori's hair before the younger girl ran off to play with Mikoto. Natsuki let out a sigh of relief as she watched her daughter go, happy for the alone time with her long time friend.

"Rough night?" Mai asked even though she already knew the answer. It was the only time Natsuki ever came over like this.

"Yeah. As much as I hate Shizuru being gone, it's something that I've always had to deal with. Not usually for this long but you know… It's really killing Kiyo."

"So take a trip to Chicago and see her," Mai responded flippantly. "It's not like your shop can't run without you for a few days. You've got a good staff."

"What about Kiyo's school?"

"She's in kindergarten. I'm sure she'll manage a few days without learning to count to ten. Have you forgotten how sharp Shizuru is? I'm sure she's ahead of the class anyways," Mai stated.

"Oh she is," Natsuki laughed. "But she doesn't quite have the finesse of it yet. It seems she somehow finds a way to piss people off with her smarts more than make them follow her."

"Which she gets from you no doubt," Mai laughed too while she shook her head at Natsuki.

"Hey, I never claimed to be smart."

"But you sure do know how to piss people off," Mai said, laughing harder when Natsuki stuck her tongue out at her. "So you gonna go?"

"You make it sound so easy. But why the hell not? Not like we can't afford it. I wanna surprise her though," Natuski pondered as Mai set the ramen down in front of her. Mai called for Mikoto and Kiyori to join them, but Natsuki was still perplexed as to how she would pull this off.

"Just pretend you're her at the desk. You forgot your key in the room and need a replacement. It's not like you don't know all her personal information to fool them with anyways."

"What do you say munchkin? Wanna go see Mommy tomorrow?" Natsuki asked. It only took seconds for small arms to wrap tightly around her neck, her daughters joy so overwhelming she couldn't even speak. "I guess that's a yes. Thanks Mai."

They finished lunch with small talk, but Mai could tell Natsuki was too excited at her new idea to stay long. She couldn't complain though, it was always hard to get a genuine smile out of the girl when her wife was away. "You know… You look awfully funny coming over for ramen in full leathers," Mai giggled as Natsuki made her way to the doorway to leave.

"Shut up. Kiyo thinks I'm cool when I wear them and I wanted to make her smile," Natsuki grumbled as she watched her daughter run back to the Ducati, overjoyed at the new promise to see her mommy again.

"I've always wanted to ask this but… why Kiyo? I mean, her name. I know it's Kiyori but you know what we all think of…" Mai trailed, hoping her question wouldn't be too personal for her friend to answer.

Instead, Natsuki gave Mai her most honest smile. "So Shizuru and I never forget that something so beautiful could come from all that pain. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a lot of planning to do and a wife who needs to be swept off her feet."

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Ahhhh I'm so mushy it makes even me sick sometimes. Stay tuned for part two and Natsuki's adventures with B&E!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N - Hmm this chapter is kind of boring. But it had to be done. And I bet all you greedy readers want more after this huh!? Gosh. Thanks for such amazing feedback to this. I have to admit, I'm pretty fond of Kiyori too. And for those of you who asked, Kiyori is a play off Kiyohime (does this count for that ShizNat drinking game!?) thus the nickname "Kiyo". I heart you all.

* * *

**Here You Me**

By: Azfixiate

Natsuki wasted no time putting her plans into motion once she got home. She sent Kiyori off to play in her room as she pulled out the laptop Shizuru had gotten her for christmas many years ago. After a few minutes of frustrated searching on the web, she finally gave in and called the airline itself. She managed to score two tickets out of Haneda to New York where she would have to catch a quick connecting flight to Chicago. At the brilliant suggestion of the airline attendant she got the tickets for that evening, realizing that with a child it is best to take long flights at night, so that they sleep through most of it.

"Kiyori," Natsuki shouted from the bottom of the stairs to get her daughters attention. The small Kuga obeyed and ran to the top of the stairs and looked down at her mother. "I need you to pick out five of your favorite outfits ok? We have to leave in three hours so we can go see mommy."

"Ok momma!" the small girl cheered before rushing back to her room.

Natsuki could only smile, feeling the same excitement as her daughter at the thought of what was happening. Unfortunately for her, she still had business to take care of before she could pack. "Yo," she said into the phone upon hearing her co-worker answer.

"What do you want?" Nao answered without hesitation, sounding bored as usual.

"I'm not gonna be able to make it to the shop this week. Kiyori and I have some ah, sudden plans."

"Running off to your master?" Nao smirked. "Good dog!"

"Ugh," Natsuki groaned in response. Sometimes she really hated how perceptive her shops co-owner could be. "Whatever. We're leaving tonight and we'll be back next weekend."

"Wow, wasted no time, huh?" Nao giggled, imagining the frustrated blush on Natsuki's cheeks. Oh how she loved to torture her best friend.

"I'm only going tonight so Kiyori will sleep on the flight and not drive everyone nuts," Natsuki defended.

"They make NyQuil for that you know," the redhead countered.

"I am not drugging my child just to get her to sleep!" Natsuki practically threw her hands up in frustration before finally getting Nao's consent on taking off and hanging up the phone.

The next few hours went painfully slowly for Natsuki as she tried her best to drag out packing for her and Kiyori. As the time counted down, both Kugas were too restless to sit around so they decided to go to the airport early to eat dinner while they waited. After dinner they made their way through security, and eventually at about a quarter to nine they boarded their flight. Natsuki was grateful to see that despite her excitement Kiyori was yawning and clinging to her momma.

"I love you Kiyo," Natsuki whispered as she kissed her daughters forehead.

"I love you too momma," Kiyori replied shortly before dozing off to sleep, using Natsuki's arm as her pillow. Natsuki was thankful her daughter slept so easily on the flight, but almost regretted she didn't bring NyQuil for herself. The excitement of seeing her wife soon made her overjoyed. Eventually she managed to wear herself out anyways, joining her daughter in slumber for the rest of the flight.

Natsuki woke up as their plane was descending in New York, smiling as she saw her daughter staring out the window in amazement. "I wanna be a pilot momma!" Kiyori announced once she noticed her mother was awake. It was only a short time later they landed and had to make their way to their connecting flight to Chicago. Natsuki stopped only long enough to use the restroom and get herself and Kiyori to brush their teeth. Natsuki checked her phone while she had the chance, noticing several missed calls and messages from Shizuru. She hated not calling her back, but didn't want the sounds of the airport to give her away.

The second flight was much less painful and by now both Kugas were too excited to rest. Kiyori kept herself entertained watching the clouds outside the window while Natsuki began to brainstorm ideas of how to surprise Shizuru. She didn't want to go to the front counter to get a key to Shizuru's room, especially not after just checking in herself. After all she needed somewhere to store her luggage in the meantime. However, she was not quite confident in her abilities to break into a hotel room. _If only they used normal locks..._

Natsuki spent the remainder of her travel time, including the taxi ride to the hotel, debating if she should just call Shizuru, or really try to surprise her. Calling her of course made sense. But Natsuki wanted to see Shizuru's surprised face. Eventually she decided if all else failed, she would call Reito and see if he could help her somehow.

Eventually they arrived at The Drake, Natsuki's mouth dropping slightly in amazement._I know we're not low on money but has Shizuru really spent two months at this place?_ As they walked into the lavish lobby Natsuki suddenly felt underdressed and out of place.

"What's wrong momma?" Kiyori asked, looking up at Natsuki when she stopped walking.

"Ah, momma just feels weird in fancy places like this. That's all," Natsuki smiled down at her daughter before going to the front counter. They quickly got their room, for one night only. Natsuki knew better than to get it for longer than that, as Shizuru would surely have them staying in her room. As soon as they were shown to their room and dropped their luggage the two looked each other with determination. "Ok kiddo, lunch or breaking and entering?"

"Mommy!" Kiyo cheered, jumping up on her mom to show her enthusiasim.

Natsuki set her daughter down before rumaging through one of her bags. A few seconds later she pulled out a black beanie hat and pulled it down on Kiyori's head. "Don't you dare tell your Mommy I'm teaching you thins," Natsuki gave her famous death glare to her daughter to show her she was serious.

"I promise," Kiyori giggled as her mom pulled out a matching hat. "Momma why are we wearing hats?"

"'Cuz it makes us look cool," Natsuki grinned at her daughter who nodded her agreement.

Natsuki and Kiyori made their way to the fourth floor where Shizuru's room was. At least Natsuki had known that much information before getting into this. It only took a few minutes for her to locate the room but much to her dismay as soon as she kneeled down to examine the lock she heard someone approaching behind her.

"Ara, who are these two suspicious figures crouching outside my door?" a familiar voice asked, causing Natsuki's heart to stop beating for a moment. Kiyori however wasted no time at blowing their cover, quickly turning around and running to the source of the voice.

"Mommy!" she yelled as she jumped up into Shizuru's arms.

"So much for that surprise," Natsuki grumbled though her smile gave her away. What did she care as long as she got to see her wife?

Shizuru's eyes locked briefly with Natsuki's, giving the blue haired girl a chance to see her overwhelming joy before she turned to look at their young daughter. "And just what is your momma teaching you with this black hat on?" Shizuru inquired as she continued to hold her daughter in her arms.

Natsuki laughed nervously before walking over to Shizuru and giving her a quick kiss on the lips. "I'm only teaching her we'll do whatever it takes to make you happy?" she nerviously answered.

"Uh huh. Momma is getting punished later," Shizuru grinned as she set Kiyori down and made her way into Natsuki's waiting arms. Kiyori let out a cheer at seeing her parents together, happy to finally see her momma relaxed and smiling again. After all, she was Shizuru's daughter and had her same sense of perception. She knew her momma was just as lonely as she had been.

"Are my girls hungry?" Shizuru asked as she finally pulled herself away from Natsuki's embrace. Green eyes lit up at the prospect of food and Shizuru smiled in return. "There's a Cheesecake Factory just next to here. How does that sound? Though I doubt they have mayo cheesecake," Shizuru teased as she made her way into her room, grabbing the wallet on the night stand.

A few minutes later the three walked out into the windy city, Shizuru with both Natsuki and Kiyori posessively claiming a hold of her hands. "I love you Shizuru," Natsuki whispered in the brunette's ear as they started their walk. A few tears fell from Shizuru's eyes as she looked at her wife's loving expression but the words failed her. Natsuki only continued to smile, knowing she made the right decision for once.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N** - So I was sick all last week, thus the delay in posting. But wow, did this ever turn out long. Especially for me. Hopefully it will make it up to you all some. **AJ** - you're a pain in the ass to keep up with! Also, I'm not cool enough to have a beta, so forgive my mistakes.

In other notes... Is the thought of parents having sex still gross, even if its ShizNat? hmm...

* * *

**Here You Me**

By: Azfixiation

Lunch went by full of small talk as Natsuki happily listened to Shizuru explain what has been going on with her wife's business merger. She explained that her new lingerie collection had been picked up by the American company Victoria's Secret on a trial basis, and was being tested in their Chicago market before the company decided to pick it up nationwide. "If you'd like we can stop by so I can show you the full line. It's only a few blocks away," Shizuru said as they finished their meal.

"Like I would ever say no to a shopping trip like that?" Natsuki grinned as she eagerly paid the bill. "Ready Kiyo?"

"Yup!" Kiyori beamed, content as could be to be with not just one but both of her parents again. As the family walked out of the building Kiyori stood between her parents, taking each of their hands into her own. "Swing me!"

"I think you're getting a little too big for that," Natsuki chuckled as she smiled down at her daughter.

"Or maybe momma is just getting too old," Shizuru teased.

Natsuki only glared at Shizuru in response, but quickly forgot about her wife's comment as she took in the scenery around her. "This place is amazing," she said as her mouth gaped. "Look at these old churches, and the architecture here." Kiyori looked around too, trying to figure out what they were so interested in but to her it didn't look all that fun. "Oh my God, look at the size of that bookstore!" Natsuki cried out as she spotted the four story Borders across the street. "I bet they have an amazing comic book selection."

"Well I guess we should look then, neh?" Shizuru said, pleased with the happy sparkle in her lovers eyes. Natsuki only smiled in response, pulling her family into the bookstore and running off on her own to find the comics. Shizuru, though saddened by the departure of her love was thankful for the alone time to catch up with her daughter. "Ara, want to pick out a book while momma spoils herself?"

"'K," Kiyori responded, clinging tightly to her mother's hand still. Kiyori happily babbled to Shizuru about school, her friends in class and most importantly all the crazy things her and Natsuki had been up to without Shizuru. While most of the stories made Shizuru laugh, she made note to scold her wife for the recent bike ride.

Eventually Kiyori settled on a book, _Fox In Socks_ by Dr. Seuss, and the two made their way to Natsuki to drag her away from the comics. Reluctantly Natsuki left the store empty handed, but vowed to herself to make a return trip before going home.

Back outside Natsuki quickly spotted the Victoria's Secret store Shizuru mentioned and hastily as ever, led her family to it. Natsuki once again seemed younger than her daughter as her eyes lit up and she ran off to check out the store's products. Shizuru smiled as she picked her now sleepy daughter up and followed her wife.

"Shizuru! This is your collection," Natsuki stared in awe as she looked at the racks in front of her. "I'm so proud of you," she said with a smile as she leaned over to kiss her wife.

"Ara, who would have thought it? Me in the lingerie business. But I'm glad it makes my Natsuki happy," Shizuru smiled. "Now take your daughter, I'm not built for this like you are." Natsuki laughed and took the half asleep Kiyori from Shizuru's arms. "Maybe we should get back to the hotel and rest until you two get better adjusted to the time change."

Natsuki pouted, having been teased with her two favorite things – comics and lingerie and not being able to spend the time to be able to shop freely. But at the same time, how could she protest to some quiet time with her wife while her daughter hopefully napped. The family walked the few blocks back to their hotel in a peaceful silence and hastily made their way to Shizuru's suite. Kiyori let out a whimper of protest as Natsuki laid her on the bed, but the feel of Natsuki playing with her hair quickly lulled the small girl back to sleep.

"My turn," Shizuru said as she quickly moved into her wife's now free arms.

Natsuki almost let out a sob as Shizuru clung to her, the aching need she felt at not seeing her wife for so long finally being healed. "Let's never do this again Shizuru. I hate it. I know it's for the family, and how much money we'll have when we close this deal but I just can't stand being away like this. And Kiyori…"

Natsuki's words were cut off when Shizuru cupped the younger girl's cheeks in her hand and kissed her gently. Shizuru could feel her actions causing Natsuki's tension to dissipate as she pulled her wife closer as they kissed. Natsuki let out a low moan at the increased contact but Shizuru only bit Natsuki's lip before pulling away from her. "Behave you. Our daughter is in the room," Shizuru teased, causing Natsuki's face to turn bright red at the thought of what just happened.

Shizuru, pleased with her control over Natsuki, tugged her younger wife over to the bed to lie down next to Kiyori. Luckily the bed was probably big enough to hold a family of twenty, so comfortably fitting the three of them was no problem. Natsuki quickly climbed into Shizuru's arms, and Shizuru chuckled at how quickly Natsuki fell asleep in her favorite position.

After she was sure Natsuki was sleeping deeply, she expertly snuck out of the bed and went to wash up. After a few minutes of shuffling business papers and contracts she found the hotel's stationary and quickly scribbled a note to Natsuki, explaining she wanted to check in with her employees since none of them had been expecting her to suddenly disappear.

A few hours later Shizuru returned to a freshly showered and refreshed family and greeted both with hugs. "How does ordering dinner in sound? There's a very special guest who should be coming over any minute now."

Natsuki quirked an eyebrow in curiosity, then grumbled to herself as she realized who it would be. Who else? Shizuru's second in command. It wasn't that she didn't like him, it was just that…

Her thoughts were cut off by the knock at the door, and she watched Shizuru eagerly let their guest in. Kiyori's eyes lit up as she saw who it was, quickly running to him and jumping into his arms. "Reito-san!" she cheered happily as he mussed her hair.

"It's good to see you again, Natsuki," he said with a smile as he reached his free hand out to gently touch her arm. They had an awkward sort of relationship, not so informal that a hug would be appropriate (nor did Reito believe he would survive to tell the story of it if he tried to hug her) but also not so formal that a handshake wouldn't be out of place.

"You too, Reito," she replied honestly. That is until she noticed the slight blush on her daughter's cheeks causing her to remember her anger. "Our daughter is way too young to have her first crush," she growled out.

"Ara, I'm pretty sure I would have loved you when I was five too," Shizuru teased the over protective Natsuki. "Now what should we order for dinner? Or shall we go downstairs to dine?"

They decided to order in, and Shizuru and Reito talked business the entire meal much to Natsuki and Kiyori's boredom. Eventually the two decided to order some games on the hotel's gaming console while the two business partners discussed ways of getting their deal with the American company closed as soon as possible so they could all return home. Reito finally decided to excuse himself, but realized the couple could probably use some alone time after their long separation.

"Want to spend the night with me Kiyo?" he asked as he stood by the door.

"Absofreakingloutly not!" Natsuki shouted quickly, not wanting her daughter to be encouraged with her crush.

"Ara, she is so young and yet Natsuki is so protective. I wonder how it will be when she is a teenager," Shizuru giggled.

"Momma," Kiyori pouted. Kiyori for the most part had no clue what the adults were talking about. She only knew that Reito was one of the few people her parents spent time with that didn't treat her like a baby, so she was overly fond of him.

"Remember last time you tried to spend the night with a friend?" Natsuki said as she kneeled down in front of her daughter. "You got scared in the middle of the night and made them bring you home."

"But I'm not scared with Reito. It was a scary house momma," Kiyori looked down at the ground, feeling shameful at the memory of being so frightened.

"And if anything comes up, you're just a quick walk down the hall away," Reito reassured Natsuki.

Natsuki looked up at her wife for her opinion, and Shizuru only gave her a slight nod. It wasn't quite what Natsuki was looking for, but she knew that Shizuru was letting her make the decision. After what Natsuki had gone through with her own family, Shizuru decided long ago that when they started their own Natsuki would be allowed to be as protective as she wanted. Anything to help Natsuki heal some of her old wounds by making positive decisions for her own family.

"Okay, you can go. But if you get scared or change your mind you let him know, ok?" Natsuki said seriously as she hugged her daughter.

"I will," Kiyori cheered as she returned the hug before giving Shizuru one as well. "I love you mommy," she said as Shizuru kissed the top of her head.

Her instinctual nature didn't like trusting her daughter with anyone but herself or Shizuru, but she knew Reito was Shizuru's best friend and confidante and that spoke volumes for the man's trustworthiness. Natsuki watched the two walk away for a moment before she felt Shizuru hugging her tightly from behind, pulling her back into the room. "Ara, it's been so long since we've had a night alone," Shizuru said playfully as she bit at the nape of Natsuki's neck.

"Try five years," Natsuki laughed as she relaxed into Shizuru's embrace, letting the worry over her daughter slip from her mind.

"Does Natsuki wish to shower with me?" Shizuru arched an eyebrow as she untangled herself from the strong arms holding her.

"You shower. I'm going to go grab our bags from the other room. And yes, I realize I planned this out poorly but it was the best spur of the moment thing I could think of," Natsuki defended before Shizuru had the chance to tease her for it. "What room is Reito in? Should take him some clothes for Kiyori to sleep in too."

"429," Shizuru responded as she made quick work of stripping her clothes off for her shower. "Sure you don't wish to join me?"

"You waste no time," Natsuki sputtered as she kissed Shizuru deeply. "But as beautiful as you are," she pulled away to glance at Shizuru's form as if to confirm the statement before finishing, "If I don't go now, it will never get done."

"Ara, even after all these years my Natsuki can't resist me can she?" Shizuru teased as she walked away to leave a very red faced flustered wife to watch her go.

Natsuki only took a minute to regain her composure, quickly darting out of the room to get her task done as quickly as possible. She felt like a kid again herself, the time away from Shizuru adding to the additional butterflies in her stomach at the thought of the night ahead of her. How Shizuru could always remain so calm she would never figure out. Personally, she felt like she wanted to burst.

It took Natsuki all of fifteen minutes to complete her duty, and seeing Kiyori enjoying herself as her and Reito played video games and ate popcorn caused her to relax so that she felt like she could truly enjoy her night with Shizuru without hesitation. The first thing she noticed when she returned was that Shizuru was still in the bathroom.

Rushing as quickly as she could, she dug through her bag to dig out one of the sample pieces of Shizuru's collection she had been given. Natsuki shivered in delight as she felt the silk cling to her body, glad that her embarrassment with these things had faded after the years. Or at least, after Kiyori came and their sex life got significantly much more boring. Now instead of being embarrassed by these moments, she looked forward to the few chances she had to take Shizuru's breath away.

"Ah, if Natsuki were our model, I bet I would have been home a month ago with my entire collection sold," Shizuru said as she leaned against the doorframe.

"I told you I was saving it for you," Natsuki smiled in response as she tugged Shizuru's hand and led her to the bed.

They climbed into the bed, giving each other gentle kisses, holding onto each other tightly for a long while before Shizuru rolled over so that her back was to Natsuki. Natsuki sighed in contentment, knowing that her wife loved to have her arms wrapped tightly around her. Unable to resist, Natsuki found herself kissing the back of Shizuru's neck which caused the older girl's breath to catch in her throat. Noticing this Natsuki smiled against her love's skin, sliding her hand under Shizuru's shirt to tease her soft skin.

Shizuru let out a quiet moan as Natsuki's fingers glided along the underside of her breast before sliding back down her stomach, just barely sliding beneath the hem of her underwear, then repeating the process. Natsuki let out a growl of delight to Shizuru's reaction and lifted herself up on her elbow so she could roll Shizuru onto her back before kissing her. Shizuru happily complied, pulling Natsuki down on top of her as she ran her tongue over Natsuki's lower lip before biting gently.

"I've missed you so much," Shizuru admitted in a whisper as Natsuki's lips found their way to her neck. Natsuki smiled against Shizuru's skin, relieved to see Shizuru finally letting herself relax and drop her mask.

Just as Natsuki's mouth began to descend lower, a quiet knock at the door caused her to drop her head onto Shizuru's chest and sigh. Shizuru could only giggle through her own frustration, knowing exactly what that knock was. "Ara, it was a nice try at least," she said gently as she ran her fingers through Natsuki's hair before pushing her up. "Go change in the bathroom," she instructed as she climbed out of bed and pulled on a pair of her sweatpants.

When she answered the door Reito gave an apologetic look upon seeing her disheveled state, no doubt able to piece together what had been happening only moments ago. "I'm sorry mommy," Kiyori whispered as she looked down at the ground. "I missed you…"

Shizuru thanked Reito so he could return to his own room before kneeling down to hug her daughter tightly. "You should never apologize for missing me," Shizuru said as she lifted her daughters chin to look into her eyes.

Kiyori gave a slow nod as she hugged Shizuru tightly, but let go as soon as Natsuki finally emerged from the bathroom. She didn't want to look weak in front of Natsuki, who of course had known this was going to happen. Instead of getting the "I told you so," she had expected from her momma however, Natsuki picked her up in her arms and plopped her down on the oversized bed. "How about we read that new book you got today and get some sleep for tomorrow? I think I have lots of shopping I want to do," Natsuki said with a grin as she glanced at Shizuru to see if it was ok.

Kiyori jumped off the bed briefly as she ran to grab the book before jumping back in and settling herself between her parents. She handed the book to Natsuki, because like her mommy, she liked to make fun of the funny faces her momma made. Leaning into Shizuru's arms to cuddle with her mommy, Kiyori signaled for Natsuki to start reading.

"Yes your highness," Natsuki quipped at her spoiled daughter. Not that she would have it any other way.

About halfway through the book, Natsuki's whole face was red from frustration as she wondered if Kiyori picked such a book just to frustrate her. "What the heck is a tweedle beetle anyways!?" Natsuki shouted after finally finishing the painful book. "And who would give noodles to a poodle? And Luke Luck will get diseased if he keeps licking that lake!" she ranted, incredulous as her wife and daughter giggled at her.

Somehow a tickle war erupted, which Natsuki quickly lost as four hands (even if two were tiny) were always more deadly than two. Eventually the three settled down when Kiyori began to yawn despite her refusal that she was sleepy. They situated themselves to Kiyori's liking, which meant Shizuru and Natsuki had their small daughter sleeping between them. After a round of 'good nights' Shizuru found Natsuki's hand under the pillows and laced their fingers together, squeezing gently before the two fell into their first peaceful sleep since their long separation.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N – Woo, finally I'm finishing this one! I don't know what's gotten into me. Thanks to ChupaChupa for being an awesome beta. Also, this chapter is to the long lost AnimeJock and those of you who are actually in Chicago. I haven't been there in umm… 7 years, so hopefully the places are, you know, still standing.

* * *

**Here You Me**

By: Azfixiation

The next morning came quickly, the mothers being awoken by an over-eager five year old. Natsuki responded by pulling the covers over her head as she rolled over, leaving Shizuru to deal with the "pest" as she grumbled half asleep in complaint. Shizuru couldn't be happier to deal with the situation as she was eager to spend time with her daughter once again.

The two planned their day over breakfast while Natsuki slept, her soft snores causing both to giggle. After deciding that their first point of interest would be the aquarium, Kiyori took to watching cartoons while finishing her food which left Shizuru with a moment to enjoy the peacefulness of the moment.

Shizuru felt a bit guilty knowing that she was torn between wanting time with her daughter and also wanting alone time with Natsuki. Though frustrated with pent up desire for her wife, she let out a wistful sigh as she recalled a memory at least six years old of her and Natsuki lying in bed, planning specifically for these moments.

With Kiyori distracted, Shizuru let a mischievous grin cross her features as she slid under the covers to spoon her wife. Natsuki immediately snuggled into the embrace, and unknowingly into Shizuru's trap. Content for the moment, Shizuru allowed herself to just hold the blue haired girl in her arms for a few minutes before putting her plan into motion.

It only took three well placed kisses and one well placed hand to cause Natsuki to stir from her sleep, letting out a small moan of pleasure. "Ara, Natsuki is so naughty making noises like that with her daughter in the room," Shizuru whispered before tracing her tongue along the blunettes ear.

As expected, Natsuki quickly jumped from the bed in a panic, red faced and pointing at Shizuru in shock. Kiyori turned her attention from her cartoons to look at her momma curiously. "How could you!? Evil! You're evil Shizuru," Natsuki glared at her wife while crossing her arms.

"I was only trying to wake you up, is that so wrong?" Shizuru pouted.

"Evil," Natsuki replied in a growl as she moved to kiss her daughters forehead. "Good morning Kiyo. I hope you never turn out like your evil mother," she said with a firm nod before heading to the bathroom.

Mother and daughter both giggled, knowing Natsuki's outburst was only temporary before Shizuru stood to stretch. "Now that momma's up, I'm going to check up on some work things before we go out, okay?"

"Ok mommy!" Kiyori hugged Shizuru before turning her attention back to her show.

Shizuru popped her head into the bathroom to steal a quick kiss from Natsuki before taking off to check in with Reito. After about ten minutes of prodding, he finally convinced her that he had everything firmly under control and that if anything came up that he couldn't handle, he'd call her right away. Once satisfied she left him to get back to his own work while she made the rounds greeting her other employees who had followed on her business venture.

All in all, she was gone about forty-five minutes and by the time she returned she was quick to notice both of her girls were eager to get out of the hotel room and explore. She noticed the new room service tray, complete with small empty mayo bottle, and was pleased, however disgusted, that her wife had her daily fill of mayo to keep her in a pleasant mood. "American mayo is not nearly as good," Natsuki complained as she noticed where Shizuru's eyes were focused.

"Ara, so my Natsuki will be grumpy today?" Shizuru asked curiously as Kiyori took her hand once they left their room.

"Tch. If I'm grumpy it's all your fault! Waking me up so rudely after I flew across the world just to see you," Natsuki half-heartedly complained.

"I was only trying to wake you up. You know it's a very difficult task, and if I'm not careful I could end up with another black eye." Shizuru raised her finger to her chin thoughtfully as she recalled the very unpleasant memory of the first time she tried waking Natsuki.

"That wasn't my fault!" Natsuki defended quickly before swooping down to pick Kiyori up into her arms. "Don't let your mommy fool you. She's not as innocent as she seems," she whispered into her daughter's ear.

"It seems my family came all this way just to pick on me," Shizuru fake cried, but was quickly cut off by a kiss from Natsuki.

"Stop teaching our daughter such bad habits," she said, already knowing Kiyori liked to use Natsuki's weakness against her to get what she wanted. "Now, how do we get to the aquarium?"

"A cab would be best. It's too far to walk." Shizuru walked to the curb outside of the hotel, making quick work of calling a cab for the family and letting him know they wished to go to the aquarium. When they arrive Shizuru fumbled with her strange American money for a moment before paying and pushing her family out.

"Oh hey look, there's a history museum right here too!" Natsuki said excitedly, causing Shizuru to arch an eyebrow in her direction. "What? I think it's neat, you know," she shrugged as her cheeks turned pink. So what if she wasn't exactly known for being studious. It didn't mean she couldn't think stuff was cool.

"Well if Kiyo is kind enough, perhaps we can stop there first?" Shizuru inquired, looking at her young daughter.

"That's boring momma," Kiyori pouted, crossing her arms in a very Natsuki way.

"It's not! Come on, I promise if we go in and you're still bored we'll leave and go straight to the aquarium, okay?"

Kiyori remained doubtful, but wanting to please her parents she agreed to Natsuki's plea. Much to Shizuru's delight, her two favorite people excitedly moved through the museum, Natsuki's eyes lighting up at various displays as she did impersonations and story telling to keep her daughters interest. Once the blunette was satisfied they made their way to the aquarium, where Kiyori took the lead, running from display to display oohing and ahhing. "Can you buy me one of those?" Kiyori asked, pointing to some brightly covered fish that was almost as big as her.

"Maybe when you're bigger," Shizuru said with an amused smile just as both wife and daughter's bellies decided to growl at the same time. "It seems maybe we should leave for lunch, yes?"

"Had enough excitement here?" Natsuki asked Kiyori who was staring longingly at the fish. Reluctantly the young girl nodded, wanting to feed her hungry tummy. "So where now, Mrs. Tour Guide?"

"Hmm," Shizuru tapped her chin thoughtfully before her face lit up with an idea. "I know exactly what will make you two happy."

Though Natsuki and Kiyori both tried to get Shizuru to tell them where they were going, she refused despite barely managing to contain the smile on her face. She stopped to hail another cab, this time leading them to a small shopping area she'd been taken to earlier on her trip at her co-workers insistence.

The cab let them off and they walked the short distance to the Clark Street Dog, where Shizuru promised her family the best hot dog they'd ever eaten in their life. "Even I'm ashamed to say I enjoyed it, so I'm sure if I did, you two will be in love with it." Needless to say the two were eager to try it, though Natsuki was disappointed that no respectable Chicago native would let her put mayo on her hot dog. Luckily she quickly discovered she didn't need it, and that Shizuru was right. This was the best hot dog she'd ever had in her life.

"What now?" Kiyori eagerly asked after finishing her food, full of energy once again from the pop she was rarely allowed to have.

"Shopping?" Shizuru asked and was met with nods. "Just let me check in with Reito and we'll be on our way." The call was quick, Reito scolding his boss and best friend for being so worried when he had everything under control, and the enthusiastic adventurers headed out, walking north to where Shizuru remembered their being some stores.

"The Pink Frog?" Natsuki asked curiously a few blocks later, not even daring to go in.

"I think this store is more your taste," Shizuru said as they stood outside The Alley, ushering her family inside.

Natsuki nodded eagerly once she was inside, eagerly looking through the merchandise with her family trailing behind. "Oh my God, look at this Shizuru!" Natsuki exclaimed with a red face as she laughed out loud. She held up the shirt for Shizuru to see, and on the front it looked just like an old worn out work shirt, with the stores logo on the breast pocket.

Then Natsuki flipped the shirt over so her wife could see the back.

Shizuru's hand immediately shot out to cover Kiyori's eyes as she read the bold print that simply stated, "I Fucked Your Girlfriend."

"She can't read English yet," Natsuki laughed in amusement, causing Shizuru in turn to blush at her reaction. Slowly, Shizuru removed her hand, as if she was afraid suddenly her daughter would have learned the English language on her own.

"Mommy?" Kiyori asked as she tried to figure out why both of her parents were blushing.

"Momma is being bad again," Shizuru said, thankful that they were speaking in their native tongue instead of English for the other patrons to overhear.

"Does that mean I can't buy it?" Natsuki pouted as she placed the shirt on the rack and went back to browsing.

Thirty minutes later, the parents noticed Kiyori's caffeine high was wearing off, and Natsuki left the store happily with her new leather jacket. They decided to head back to the hotel for the night where Kiyori could rest and Shizuru could check on her business merger, much to Reito's annoyance. Once again she was assured she was hardly needed as they waited out the other companies answer and headed back to her room to find Kiyori passed out on the bed already.

"Think she'll sleep through the night if we let her rest?" Natsuki asked as she greeted Shizuru with a kiss.

"We can wake her up for dinner in a bit; then I'm sure she'll rest fine," she replied against Natsuki's lips, never quite breaking the kiss. "Want to take a shower with me?"

"What if she wakes up?" the blunette replied as she was already being lead towards the bathroom.

"Are you forgetting she's your daughter as well? She'll sleep, don't worry."

"Alright, but no funny business," Natsuki stated as she allowed Shizuru to shut the door behind them before moving to pull off her wife's shirt.

"So you say as you eagerly strip me," Shizuru teased while attaching her lips to her lover's neck.

"I just missed you. We're never doing this distance thing again, right?" Natsuki asked in all seriousness, causing Shizuru to look up and lock her crimson eyes with the pleading emerald ones staring at her.

"I promise," Shizuru said, pulling Natsuki into a hug while her hands deftly stripped her lover. "Are you sure we can't pick up where we left off last night?"

Natsuki sighed in mock frustration as she pulled the rest of Shizuru's clothes off before tugging her into the shower. "Well, maybe if we hurry," she said with a grin before capturing the brunette's lips in a heated kiss.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N – Finally this is complete. I know the ending might seem cheesy and short and lacking in Kiyori goodness, but unless you all want me to write pointless fluff that has no ending, eventually it has to stop. So I wrapped it up as best as I could. Thanks to ChupaChupa for doing the beta – you all should hire her as your beta too if you need one. She's awesome. XD

* * *

**Here You Me**

By: Azfixiation

The next few days were packed with the family doing the mandatory tourist stops throughout the city. Kiyori, despite her best efforts often was tired by late afternoon resulting in the couple's early return to the hotel. Natsuki and Shizuru were okay with this, as it only meant they had more time out of the public eye where they could be closer to one another than they could elsewhere.

On Wednesday morning, Reito woke the couple by pounding on their door until Shizuru finally answered. Doing his best to ignore Natsuki's growls and protests, he sat down on the plush chair in the corner of the room. "Tonight's the night," he said excitedly.

"We know this. Now why did you barge in here?" Natsuki said with a scowl as she sat up in bed, amazed that her daughter was still sleeping.

"We need to plan this out, that's why. There's a reason Shizuru is still here, and not at home with you two you know. Tonight's the night they decide. It's the show at Le Passage."

"Right, and I have to be there," Shizuru said with a rare pout.

"Hey, no worries," Natsuki said as she moved over to her lover's side. "We know you have to work, it's okay. We went weeks without you, a few hours will be fine."

"It won't be just a few hours," Shizuru sighed as she stood to make tea in the room's kitchenette. "This is the show where they decide if they want to buy the collection. I've got to spend the day with the team picking out each piece and go to Le Passage to make sure they have the right models and that everything goes smoothly."

Natsuki's smile faltered for just a second before she regained her composure knowing that despite not wanting to be in the city without her wife, this also signified that Shizuru would get to come home in just a few days. Reito chose then to excuse himself with Shizuru promising to meet them downstairs in forty-five minutes. "Don't think I didn't see that little frown you had my Natsuki," Shizuru said as she walked back to her wife who was now sitting on the couch in the room.

"I had no such thing," Natsuki replied as she moved to pull her wife to her, giving her a kiss in the process.

"Should I wake Kiyo before I go?" Shizuru asked but received no answer aside from Natsuki's teeth nipping at her neck. "Oh you are not allowed to get me all worked up before I have to leave you."

Shizuru pushed herself from her wife's embrace but gave her a quick peck on the lips before standing completely. Natsuki growled in protest to the lack of contact, her arms crossed in frustration. "If I get you all worked up you won't be looking at all those models."

"Ara, is my Natsuki jealous again?" Shizuru teased as she began to dress for the day.

"Again!? What do you mean again? I'm never jealous. Pfft," Natsuki replied, her eyebrows twitching at the accusation.

"Uh huh, then why has Natsuki tried to mark my neck this morning?"

Natsuki stood to walk over to her wife, embracing her from behind and breathing softly in her ear. "I marked you six years ago when you decided to be my wife," she said with a downward glance to Shizuru's ring finger, which she proudly held up for her wife to see.

Shizuru blushed faintly at Natsuki's possession of her, the memory still clear in her mind of the day Natsuki had proposed to her. "I love you," she whispered as she turned in the embrace to kiss her blue-haired lover.

"And I love you. Even if you do look at half naked models for a living. At least we all know why Reito agreed to work for you."

Shizuru only rolled her eyes as she finished getting dressed, watching as Natsuki moved to wake their daughter up. Once both tasks were done Shizuru bade farewell to her family for the day. Though reluctant, she couldn't help the small smile of satisfaction as she realized she once again had her family with her to even say goodbye to.

After Kiyori was done pouting about the loss of her mommy, she perked up when Natsuki offered to take her to the zoo after they had finished breakfast. Without Shizuru there to help her keep up with Kiyori's boundless energy Natsuki found herself getting worn out faster than usual.

It took about 4 hours at the zoo for Kiyori's steam to finally run out. For once Natsuki was thankful for the exhaustion, deciding that it would be a good day to laze about the hotel and just order a few movies and hopefully sleep much of the day away as she waited for her wife. As much as she was enjoying herself, the whole tourist thing wasn't really her scene.

Sometime in the early evening Shizuru called to check in on them, disappointed when no one answered but figured they were probably out sightseeing. Finishing the last of her salad she decided to get back to work, double checking the stage and seating arrangements. While she loved her job, Shizuru found that as she grew older she didn't want to have to be away from her home anymore. She was determined to make the night as much of a success as possible, wanting nothing more than to be able to close this deal so she could take some time off from her hectic life without worrying about finances.

Though Natsuki's shop did well enough, Natsuki was choosy about her customers, deciding to keep the repairs as more of a hobby than actual work. In some ways Shizuru enjoyed the fact that she was the main "bread winner" in the family, having always dreamed of the day when she would have a family of her own to love and take care of.

As the night dragged on, Shizuru got further and further worked up in her stress, though not a soul would have been able to notice the difference in her behavior. They had decided to make this a big affair, much to Shizuru's dismay, having wanted to publicize their own company for greater profit while checking out the new line. Shizuru worked best under pressure, the last minute details coming into place perfectly as she sent her models out one by one to be judged not only by the company she wanted to sell her line to, but by the public as well who had decided to attend tonight's show.

Though the show went without a hitch, Shizuru had been surprised and overwhelmed when the company readily agreed to buy her entire line. She had expected them to at least hold out a few days, bartering the financial aspects of such a huge deal. Those aspects she left to Reito, promising him a huge bonus for being so great during the trip, before returning to her hotel room.

Upon entering the room the first thing Shizuru noticed was the time – just past midnight, and cringed. Luckily for her she found her wife and daughter curled up and sleeping on the bed, a movie playing on the TV that was about halfway though. As quietly as she could she pulled off her heels and changed into her sleeping attire, crawling in bed to spoon her drooling wife. "Ara, my Natsuki must be having sweet dreams about me," she grinned to herself before attempting to wake her.

Eventually Natsuki did stir, this time less aroused than last time, much to Shizuru's dismay. "Kiyori is spending the day with Mai when we get home right?" Shizuru asked once Natsuki was lucid enough to move into her wife's arms and cuddle. "Let's go home tomorrow, how does that sound?"

Natsuki's head perked up, now fully awake at the suggestion. "Really?" she asked excitedly. Shizuru told her about how the night went, and how she was certain with Reito leading the way everything would be fine. "Are you sure you shouldn't stay a little longer?"

"Ara, does Natsuki wish for me to go play with the naked models some more?" Shizuru tapped her chin thoughtfully, trying not to laugh at her wife as she tried to control her outburst so as to not wake Kiyori. "Perhaps that is a good idea."

Before Shizuru could say anymore she found herself pinned beneath a growling Natsuki. "Mine," she simply declared, half teasingly and half seriously.

"I am," Shizuru responded as she put her arms around Natsuki's neck and pulled her down for a kiss. "So does that mean you'll take me home tomorrow?"

"You bet I will. And the first thing I'm doing when we land is calling Mai," Natsuki confirmed as she nuzzled back into her wife's embrace. "And what did you mean by naked?"

Shizuru only chuckled at the blunette's slow reaction, stroking her hair to help lull her back to sleep. "They have to be naked before they can put my lingerie on you know. Don't worry, I didn't look. Much."

"I hate you," Natsuki mumbled softly, her lips pressing against Shizuru's neck.

"And I love you too," Shizuru said before closing her own eyes, ready for the day to begin anew so she can return home to her life, hopefully never leaving her family again.


End file.
